AVR-S950H
7.2-channel AV Receiver

Executive Overview

Denon
has an impressive track record of building large and powerful high-end AV
receivers, from the absolutely massive AVR-5308CI, which I longed to own a
decade ago, to the brand new 13.2-channel AVR-X8500H, which recently received a
stellar review here at Audioholics. An equally impressive achievement by Denon is the company’s consistent ability to roll out entry-level receivers that
also earn high praise and perform reliably year after year, despite the fact
that they cost just hundreds, rather than thousands. Since Denon debuted the
S-Series in 2014, these affordable receivers have been an easy recommendation
for anyone just getting started in home theater. (Check out our coverage of the
AVR-S930H and the AVR-S730H from 2017.) Recently Denon announced three
new S-Series receivers for 2019, all available now: the AVR-S950H ($599), the AVR-S750H
($499), and the AVR-S650H ($399). Denon says that the lineup is “designed
for anyone who wants an affordable way to dramatically improve their
entertainment center.”

The
AVR-S650H is a simple 5.2-channel receiver with standard channel-based surround
decoding on board, while the AVR-S750H and AVR-S950H are 7.2-channel receivers
with more inputs, more power, and the ability to decode Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
soundtracks. All three of the new S-Series offerings work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's Siri voice assistant for hands-free
operation. (Of the three, Alexa is the most capable here, giving users the
ability to switch inputs and adjust various settings; Google Assistant and Siri
are currently limited to adjusting volume and skipping tracks.) All three
S-Series receivers also support several new HDMI features from the latest HDMI 2.1
specification, including Auto
Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for gaming, and enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
functionality, which enables the transmission of uncompressed and immersive
audio soundtracks directly from the TV to the receiver via the connected HDMI
cable. The AVR-S750H and AVR-S950H will also have a new feature called Dolby
Atmos Height Virtualization (coming via a future firmware update), which
creates virtual height effects for Dolby soundtracks without the use of
additional height speakers. DTS soundtracks are given similar treatment by a
technology called DTS Virtual:X.
Both of these applications are designed to enable a traditional 5.1- or
7.1-channel speaker arrangement to mimic the immersive sound typically provided
by more complex setups with in-ceiling speakers. The new S-Series models all
support Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio
lossless surround sound protocols, and they use premium 32-bit AKM digital
converters with the ability to decode up to 24-bit/192-kHz FLAC, WAV, and ALAC
lossless files, plus DSD up to 5.6MHz. On the video side of things, the
S-Series receivers support the latest copy-protection
standard, HDCP 2.3, and most of the major HDR formats,
including HDR10, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), and Dolby Vision. All three receivers
in the S-Series can pass full 4K Ultra HD/60 Hz
video signals, and the range-topping AVR-S950H can perform 4K video upscaling
for all incoming signals.

Denon
was one of the first manufacturers to embrace multi-room audio with its HEOS
streaming platform, so it’s no surprise that the S-Series receivers have HEOS
built in. HEOS supports a number of free and premium music streaming services,
including Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, TuneIn, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud,
SiriusXM, and Tidal. A new HEOS feature found on the S-Series is Party Mode,
which allows you to play the audio from your TV (or any other audio source,
digital or analog) to all audio zones throughout the house. The S-Series
receivers can connect to a mobile device via bluetooth, and then stream audio
from that device to all HEOS-enabled
speakers on the home network. But what if you use another brand of gear for
wireless distributed audio, such as Sonos or Bluesound? No problem. The
S-Series receivers all support Apple’s AirPlay 2 protocol, allowing you to
stream Apple Music or any other audio from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, as part of
a flexible whole-home audio system.

User-friendly
setup and a simple user interface are both of great importance to the success
of any entry-level AV product meant for “regular people” rather than for
hard-core enthusiasts. To that end, the S-Series receivers all feature
Audyssey’s suite of EQ calibration technology for simple, accurate set-up.
Those users who do want to do a deep dive into audio settings can use the
Audyssey MultiEQ editor app (purchased separately) to customize their room EQ
curves. Each receiver’s front panel features four Quick Select buttons —
mirrored on the supplied remote control — which store the user’s preferred
audio settings for each source. The receivers can also be operated using free
remote apps for iOS and Android mobile devices.

As
mentioned above, the AVR-S650H is a 5.2-channel receiver with up to 150 watts
of power. The 7.2-channel AVR-S750H delivers up to 165 watts per channel. The AVR-S950H
is very similar to the 750H, but offers two extra inputs, more advanced video
processing, and up to 185 watts per channel. Of course, as is so often the
case, these power ratings need to be taken with a grain of salt. For the AVR-S950H,
for example, the quoted rating of 185 watts represents peak power with one
channel driven into a 6Ω load, with 10% THD.
Luckily Denon does also give more real-world power specs, if you know to look
for them. According to Denon, the AVR-S950H delivers 90 watts per channel with
two channels driven into an 8Ω load, with THD at 0.08%. That should be adequate
for the types of applications where a receiver of this price level is likely to
be used. The AVR-S750H and AVR-S650H both deliver 75 real-world watts. Denon’s
amplification does offer low-impedance driver capability, claiming to provide
stable operation with speakers ranging from 4Ω to 16Ω. Analog purists take
note: anyone wanting to spin vinyl should choose the AVR-S950H, which is the
only model in the S-Series that includes a built-in moving magnet phono stage
and a “Pure Direct” mode, which bypasses all audio processing.

With
its new S-Series receivers, Denon looks to continue its tradition of offering
maximum home entertainment value for the smallest possible price.

"The new
2019 Denon S-Series AVRs provide music and movie enthusiasts with a simple and
inexpensive solution to upgrade from a traditional sound bar. With features
like automated room calibration and audio optimization alongside
industry-leading sound quality, the S-Series are a great way to advance any
home theater. With each update, Denon
engineers tune the amplification, DSPs, and component selection to deliver an
amazing audio and visual experience."

What more could you ask for in an
entry-level AV receiver? Stay tuned for more Denon coverage in the coming weeks after we attend the Sound United press event where we will learn more about these models and other new products coming in 2019 and beyond....